Town and village and general elections set for Tuesday, Nov. 6

November 7, 2012

The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 6. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

The following races will appear on ballots:

Harmony - William A. Lawson is running unopposed on the Republican Party line for town supervisor. Peter J. Radka is running unopposed on the Republican Party line for town council.

North Harmony - Howard E. Peacock is running unopposed on the Republican Party line for town justice.

Pomfret - David L. Penharlow is running unopposed on the Republican and Conservative party lines for town council.

Ripley - Levern Gibson is running unopposed on the Democratic Party line for town justice. Andrew Knight is running unopposed on the Democratic and Republican party lines for town council. There will also be a proposition on whether $28,160, should be raised through property taxes for the Ripley Free Library Association for maintenance.

Voting 101 in Chautauqua County

Voting machine - All elections conducted by the Chautauqua County Board of Elections use a paper ballot optical scan voting system.

Eligibility to vote - Any county citizen at least age 18 at the date of election and who has registered to vote is eligible. Voters must have lived at their present address at least 30 days before an election, not be in jail for a felony conviction or on parole for a felony conviction and not claim the right to vote elsewhere. Voters may check their registration at votechautauqua.com or by calling the Board of Elections at 753-4580 during normal business hours

Hours to vote - Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The busiest times to avoid are the morning and evening when people are headed to and from work and the dinner hour.

Where to vote - Voters may look up their poll site at votechautauqua.com or by contacting the Board of Elections for their correct polling location at 753-4580.

New poll sites for 2012 - All Charlotte town voters now will be voting at the Sinclairville Fire Station, 30 Main St., Sinclairville and all Fredonia Village voters - Town of Pomfret - will now be voting at the Wheelock School, 75 Chestnut St., Fredonia

Will identification be needed - A voter may need identification and proof of address if they are newly registered by mail. An Election Inspector may also ask for an ID if they are unable to match or verify the voter's signature and identification will be needed if the voter is challenged by a poll watcher at the poll site. Unlike other states, New York uses a signature verification system to validate most voters.

Moved - A voter who has moved within the county and failed to notify the Board of Elections must go to their new polling place and fill out an affidavit ballot.

Name is not in the poll book- Provisional affidavit ballots are available for anyone who believes they are registered to vote and are not in the poll book at the poll place assigned for the voter's residence. Every voter has a right to vote by provisional/affidavit ballot.

Absentee ballots - Nearly 4,000 Chautauqua County voters will be voting by absentee ballot and will likely account for 6 percent of the total vote. Unlike other states, New York does not have early voting and only voters who are out of the county on Election Day or are physically unable to go to the polls are eligible.

Last date to postmark an absentee ballot application - Applications must have been postmarked no later than Tuesday, Oct. 30. Applications can be downloaded from www.votechautauqua.com

In person absentee voting - Voters may come to the Board of Elections up to 5 p.m., Monday Nov. 5 to vote in person at the Hall R. Clothier Building, 7 North Erie St., Mayville, if they will be out-of-town on Election Day. The Board of Elections is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily until Election Day and will be open extended hours until 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. Also, special Saturday hours will be 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Last date to return an absentee ballot - Ballots must be postmarked no later than Monday, Nov. 5 and received at the Board of Elections no later than Tuesday, Nov. 13. Military ballots and overseas voter's ballots may be received at the Board of Elections until Monday, Nov. 19. Ballots may also be delivered to the polls on Election Day.

Assistance to special needs voters - All poll sites in Chautauqua County will have available a Sequoia Imagecast handicapped assistance voting device. Voters wishing to use these devices are urged, but not required, to contact the Board of Elections in advance of going to the polls by calling 753-4580 to ensure a smooth Election Day experience.

Spanish language voters - Spanish ballots and interpreters are available in Jamestown and Dunkirk by request.

What's on the ballot - United States President/Vice President, United States Senator, House of Representative, State Senate, State Assembly, County Court Judge and a few local town offices and a Ripley referendum. Ballots are available for preview by visiting votechautauqua.com

How many voters are eligible to vote in Chautauqua County - 78,167 total, or 29,731 Democrats, 26,119 Republicans and 24,844 other affiliations or non-affiliated voters.

Recent voter turn out history - The 2008 Presidential election cycle saw 60,087 voters and 2004 found 61,243 voters for a nearly 70 percent eligible turn out of Chautauqua County electors.